Elegant Chinese Woman and Bird Cages

The artist Mo Nong signing some of his artwork before I took it to my workshop for proper mounting.

This painting is not titled, but is signed by the artist, and authenticated with his red signature seal.

About the artist...

The artist goes by the name (Mo Nong).
He lives in Beijing, the capital city of China.

This general style of painting that falls between modern art and folk art is done by many artists in China.
Once the last modern I worked with retired, it took years to find another that I was really happy with. Finally, in 2012, I walked into the studio of Mo Nong, and found what I was looking for.
His variety of composition and painting style make all of these paintings instant classics.

The day I met Mo Nong in his studio in the Panjiayuan artist community of Beijing.

About the art...

Mo Nong uses paint power and water (similar to gouache) to get vivid colors.
This is applied to handmade xuan paper (often called rice paper, though there's no rice in it).
When I took these painting to my workshop, they were mounted with a silk brocade border.
This border can be used in lieu of matting when you frame this artwork.

I pee freely:

If you come to China, save your small change...
In Beijing, the government recently passed a law against charging money for using a public toilet.
However, in other cities and towns around China, expect to pay between 2-5 mao (about 3-5 cents) for the use.
Bring your own toilet paper, or expect to pay 5 mao for a small pack of tissue as you enter.

In my opinion, the best public toilet in all of China is at Tian'anmen Square.
This public restroom is not only clean, but also features its own gift shop.